microcosm
UK /ˈmaɪ.kɹə(ʊ)ˌkɒz.əm/ · US /ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌkɑz.əm/ noun
Forms microcosms
- noun Human nature or the human body as representative of the wider universe; man considered as a miniature counterpart of divine or universal nature.
- noun (obsolete) The human body; a person.
- noun A smaller system which is seen as representative of a larger one.
- noun (ecology) A small natural ecosystem; an artificial ecosystem set up as an experimental model.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From French microcosme, from Latin microcosmus, from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”) + κόσμος (kósmos, “universe, order”); micro- + -cosm.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “microcosm”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details